


From the First Day

by VivaLaGrickle



Category: Grickle
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-23
Updated: 2016-03-15
Packaged: 2018-05-08 18:00:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5507438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VivaLaGrickle/pseuds/VivaLaGrickle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>How did it all begin? This is a possible explanation and look into how it all started.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story jumps points of view, and the label, either "~Sickle~" or "~Graves~", appearing above the section depicts whose perspective it is from.   
> More will be added as time goes on.

~Sickle~  
Oh god. Day one and I’m already fucking everything up. I put my head in my hands and admitted defeat. There’s no way in hell that this year is going to go well enough for me to continue teaching this. Well. Half a year. Either way. This isn’t going to go well. Mike had already come in to check how things had been going, and I lied my way out of it and made it seem as though things were going far better than they actually were. It’s not as though they can blame me. After all, I have been working with a seventh grade class and only concerning myself with random cultural facts. This here is actual history that requires knowing what’s going on. I can probably just get by with reading the Power Points and giving them bookwork, but I want to teach. I heaved a long sigh and let my head slip down to my desk.  
~Graves~  
I could tell that he’d had a rough first day. I felt bad that I didn’t greet him as I should have, but I had to finish grading tests I had put off until today. A shame really. I’d love to get to know him and I’m sure he needs a friend right now. I peered into his class and saw him put his head on his desk. I guess it was longer than I had assumed. I grabbed my spare cup from the cupboard and made him a cup of coffee the way I saw him make it this morning; a dash of milk, and four sugar packets. The man is truly a sugar addict. I gingerly picked up his cup along with mine, took a deep breath, and headed in to his room.  
~Sickle~  
I was too wrapped up in my own thoughts to hear him come in, and I have no idea how long he had been standing there before he cleared his throat and I looked up. He gave a sheepish, yet welcoming, crooked grin and held up a cup of coffee.  
“I thought you might want some. It looks like you had a long day.”  
“You could say that. And say it again. And again.” Thankfully he laughed and handed me the coffee. I took a sip and peered over the rim at him. Perfectly sweet. Not unlike him, eh? He must have been watching me this morning… “Perfect. Thank you. I really appreciate it”. He laughed again and I could feel a smile spread across my face.  
“Don’t mention it. I’m sure they told you I have a liking for coffee.”  
“Something like that. Although I’m sure they said something along the lines of ‘He’s a ridiculous caffeine addict’.” He laughed again and he grinned even more than before. Oh how wonderful that goofy grin is. Is he blushing? I laughed even harder and knew that I liked him.

~  
~Graves~  
We had to combine classes this last hour. Sickle’s projector broke in the middle of a movie both the classes are watching, and he came in frantically trying to find a solution. A stroke of luck really. He’s been leaning against the counter next to my desk, and it gives me the chance to look him over. He looks exceedingly handsome today. Purple is truly his color. It’s like in the old movies where they used contrast constantly. The silver in his hair compliments the purple of the shirt, and the light is bouncing off of his face at such beautiful angles.  
He’s hardly an enforcer, and the students in his class are quite the chatty type; a bad combination to say the least. I don’t want to cross over into his jurisdiction, but I can’t have this in my class. Perhaps I just need to give him a hint.  
“Quite the talkers you have here Mr. Sickle”. That should be good enough.  
“Yeah, but not as bad as my third hour class. That group is pretty ridiculous.” Damn it. He didn’t catch on. There’s only one of my kids talking right now. I guess I’ll just have to use him.  
“Jacob. Stop talking and watch the movie. Have you been filling out the questions?”  
“…No…”  
“Then you’d better start. Pay attention.” That should do it. I look up and he’s still just leaning on the counter. No action taken. Nothing. SERIOUSLY!? I grab the baseball out of my drawer and start tossing it up and catching it to calm down. I can’t really blame him can I? I mean he is just starting up here and I’ve had these kids for half a year. Well some of them a year and a half. He needs to do something or they’ll just keep walking all over him.  
Just then I see movement and it’s him walking over to one of the students in the back of the room. I keep throwing the ball so it doesn’t look like I’m watching him, but I keep him in my peripheral vision. I can see him talking to someone. It looks like one of the defiant ones. This is going to be a long battle for him. I hope he realizes – Woah! Sickle bent over to talk to another student, and I forgot to catch the ball.  
~Sickle~  
“Are you sure you’re okay? It looks like it hurts.”  
“Yeah. Yeah I’m fine. I don’t even feel it.” As he said it I could see him wince. Why won’t he just admit it? A slight bruise was forming on his cheek and it his face looked swollen.  
“Uh huh. What happened anyways?”  
“I just didn’t catch it.”  
“Well that’s obvious. Why did you drop it? You usually have control over it. I never even see you falter.”  
“Well I…I uh…It was just an accident. I was distracted…” Is he blushing? He was. I could see the red curl up around his ears and over his cheeks, making the purple bruise stand out even more. I know that I need to leave things alone more than I do, but as usual, my curiosity was stronger. I just couldn’t think of anything that would distract him so much as to make him forget a ball was just thrown directly above his face.  
“What distracted you?”  
“…I…The movie. There was a part I had never realized before. It wasn’t uh. It just didn’t seem appropriate so I started listening immediately and was too wrapped up in that to catch the ball.” The red in his face spread even further and I could tell he was lying.  
“I didn’t hear anything inappropriate.” Oh God his face is so red right now. “Was it something else? Someone perhaps?”  
~  
~Sickle~  
The bruise has gone through its cycle of healing and is now nothing more than a faint yellow smudge on his cheek. I feel bad for him. Students kept coming in and asking if he really dropped a ball on his face and consistently laughed at him. I understand of course. It’s an intriguing irony that would amuse most anyone, but I could see the embarrassment on his face every day.  
He had never told me what had distracted him, and every time I asked he just blushed and looked upset. I can’t imagine that it’d be one of the students. Something like that wouldn’t be new, and he’d already have lies ready. Plus it’s completely out of his character. I just wish I knew what had caused it.  
~Graves~  
He’s asked me so many times about what happened. I thought he would catch on that I don’t want to tell him, but he hasn’t. If he thinks I’m just going to give in, then he’s wrong. I can’t just tell my coworker ‘Hey, so the reason I dropped a baseball on my face was because I saw you bend over and I’m extremely attracted to you. Hope you don’t mind sharing an office space with me!’ Maybe I should tell him though. I mean there’s a chance that…No. No, no, no. 

~  
~Sickle~  
I had walked into Graves’s classroom this morning hoping to talk with him but he wasn’t there. I checked back during the middle of his first hour but in his place was a substitute teacher. He didn’t tell me he was going to be gone, and I know he wasn’t scheduled to be. I couldn’t help but worry about him, so I went to the office to ask where he was.  
Apparently one of the parents got upset about Graves’s teaching style and had called in a complaint to Mike. He had to go and sit with the parents in a meeting for most of the morning and then he went home after lunch, and the weekend began. He didn’t leave my thoughts that weekend and by the time Monday came around, I was practically a nervous wreck.  
~Graves~  
I’ll admit, I had a rough weekend. It’s not easy to hear you’re not a good teacher, but it’s even worse when you hear it repeatedly from people whose child is the problem. Mike had him transferred out of my class and into Bauer’s, and by the time the meeting was done, I was ready to leave. I used a sick day and went home and sat in self-pity until Sunday morning. I realized that it was one kid with an attitude problem and I needed to let go. So I did and I was over it.  
I was at my desk trying to make sense of the Sub’s notes when Sickle walked in looking frantic. I didn’t look up for more than a glance because I had almost deciphered the scribbled hand writing and I didn’t want to stop. He seemed to be just as focused on his task.  
“Are you okay? What happened? You weren’t here... I understand if you don’t want to talk about it…But are you okay?” Looking up, I saw how scared he looked and I realized that I must have looked pretty upset as well and he didn’t understand why. I couldn’t help but look up at his frightened face and laugh.  
“I’m fine Sickle. It was just a kid with an attitude problem and parents to match. I realized that there was nothing wrong with my teaching abilities and that I needed to move on. I’m actually pretty good this morning. I just wish the sub could have written clearer notes. I can hardly read them.” I could see him relax and as he did I noticed something in his hand. “What’s that?” He instinctively moved it behind him and then put it in front of him and peered down at it.  
“Well…I had found out that you had to talk to the kid’s parents and such…and then you left early so I figured you were pretty upset. So I uh…I brought you something.” He handed me a tan and yellow box and his cheeks started to turn pink. “It’s chamomile tea. I always enjoy it, but it’s comforting to me when I’m upset. I thought you might appreciate it…”  
“Thank you. I’m sure I will…”  
~

~Graves~  
To be completely honest, the tea was disgusting. I could barely choke down a single sip of it. I didn’t want to hurt him though so I bought two travel coffee mugs that were exactly the same. I’d fill one with the coffee I wanted and put it in my desk before he could see, and then make the tea in front of him when he showed up. I switched them out when he went to his room and always claimed the tea was too hot to drink right away. Thankfully we have different lunch hours so I’m able to pour out the tea then. I just hope he never catches on…  
~Sickle~  
I can’t get enough time with him. I constantly think about how great it would be to spend time with him outside of work. We did once. All of the staff went out for a drink as a sendoff for Mrs. Schaar. He would laugh at every joke that was told and his eyes were bright behind his flushed cheeks. I know he was drunk, but I can’t help but think that he would be like that anyways.  
~Graves~  
I had just switched out the coffee mugs when Sickle came in. He looked pretty happy which was a good indicator that he hadn’t witnessed my tea to coffee magic. I sighed with relief at that, and gave him a huge grin.  
“Good morning Sickle. How are you?” He moved his shoulders in an odd little circle and put his hands behind his back and back in front before clasping them together and moving his thumbs over the back of his hands. That’s odd…  
“Oh you know. Pretty good…Actually I’m great. I won tickets to a hockey game down in Detroit for next weekend.”  
“That’s great. You and the wife going?” Something flashed across his face but I couldn’t tell what it was; it passed just as soon as it had formed. He started to swing his arms again and he seemed jittery. Geeze. I guess hockey means an awful lot to him…  
“Yeah uh no. She hates going to games. ‘They’re way too cold to be pleasant.’” He even raised the pitch of his voice to be that of a woman’s and I almost choked from laughing so hard.  
“Well I guess I can understand that” I was still laughing but when I looked up he looked sad and he had started to lean on my counter. “What’s the matter?”  
“It’s nothing...I had planned on inviting you to come with me. But if you don’t like hockey I guess there’s not really a point.” At that he gave a half smile and a pathetic fake laugh before turning to go back to his class. “I have some things I need to finish. I’ll uh. I’ll talk to you later.”  
~Sickle~  
How could anything go any worse than that!? A plan ruined. It was perfect and now it’s gone. I should have asked if he liked hockey before buying the tickets like an idiot.  
“Wait! Sickle!” I stopped in the middle of our office but I wasn’t prepared to turn and look at him. I could feel my neck and face flush with embarrassment. He said my name again but this time softer and not as far away.  
He gently put his hand on my shoulder and turned me towards him making my heart stop. Oh God, his eyes... “I said that I understood it; not that I feel that way. I’d love to go with you.”  
“Really? You’re not just saying that?” He squeezed my shoulder and let his hand fall down my arm, and brushed my fingertips with his.  
“I promise you. Now, are you okay?” I couldn’t help but to just stare into his eyes and feel my heart beat inside of my chest aching for escape. “Sickle?” I tried to open my mouth and say something but it seemed impossible so I just nodded.  
The first bell rang and he let go of me. A reassuring smile spread across his face and I could breathe again. “We’ll make the plans later alright?” I nodded again and he turned to his class, leaving me to turn into my own after a few deep breaths.  
~  
~Sickle~  
We had decided to take one car to cut down on the cost of our trip, and we agreed that Graves would drive his car. More often than not, he was speeding, but he didn’t make any risky moves and I felt safe. We had stocked up on mini muffins, the mints he likes, chocolate and granola bars before we left, and Graves stopped twice for coffee before we had even made it half of the way.  
“I’m running low on coffee. We will have to stop again soon.”  
“You’re joking right? Why are you drinking so much?”  
“It keeps me focused. So let’s go over the plan again.” I sighed and dug through the papers on my lap to find the notebook I had everything written down on.  
“One: we drive there.” He laughed at that and I couldn’t help but smile. “When we get to the hotel, we will go to our rooms, unpack, freshen up and change, and meet up in the lobby 30 minutes later to head out to dinner. We need to have everything we need for the game already in the car. Everything sound good so far?”  
“Excellent. Keep going.”  
“Okay. After dinner, we head to the game. We are sitting in the far right corner from where we enter, and we will have seats right behind the glass.”  
“A wonderful spot I might add. It’s pretty crazy to think that they gave you such good seats. Normally when you win those, they are the worst imaginable.” Does he know I bought them or does he still think I won them?  
“Yeah. They uh. They were quite generous.” I cleared my throat as a nervous habit. Guilty. “So um. From there we head back to the hotel and meet up tomorrow morning around 10 and head back.”  
“Hm. Alright sounds good. So I looked up the hotel and they had some pretty good reviews. Good choice.”  
~Graves~  
Talking with Sickle is fantastic. I can’t imagine having to make this drive without him. Unfortunately our directions set us in the middle of a detour and we were too far to take another route so we sat and waited. It gave me a chance to look at him while he talked and I was certainly grateful for that. He was telling me about the hockey teams we were going to be watching tonight and it was more than obvious he was excited. His face was glowing and he never stopped smiling. If there was ever a moment that should be in a movie, it would be this one. It’d be this man smiling and talking nonstop, but it’d be muffled, and there would be some sort of meaningful music covering it all up. They’d capture the way the light was hitting his face, and the look in his eyes. Then it’d switch to slow motion where I’d be leaning in to ki—  
“Graves!” There was a lot of honking but I could barely hear it. I was terrified he had asked me a question and I was too absorbed in my imagination to realize he had even said anything.  
“What?” He was pointing to the road and it took me a few second to realize that it was our turn to move forward. That would explain the honking…

“I guess you really do need more coffee.” He’s laughing at me right now. Great. I could feel my face turn red and I focused on the line of cars slowly creeping forward.  
“Yeah. I uh. I guess I do…”

~Sickle~  
He had been looking at me with such an intense look that when he finally looked back to the road, it felt as though he took a large part of me with him. I know that continuing with the flow of traffic is important, but I can’t help but wish we could have stayed in that moment far longer than we were allowed.  
Graves had stopped talking and I could see his face was still red. I wanted to talk to him but I could tell he wasn’t wanting that, so we sat in silence listening to the radio.  
Lying in my bed I hear the clock tick,  
And think of you  
Caught up in circles confusion-  
Is nothing new  
Flashback- warm nights-  
Almost left behind  
Suitcases of memories,  
Time after-  
I started humming along, and I could see him beginning to smile again. The tension ebbed and I began to softly sing. He slowly joined in with me and soon we were singing and dancing as best we could, which isn’t saying very much at all.  
~Graves~  
We arrived at the hotel half an hour later than planned, and we had decided that we’d just check in and head straight to dinner after that. The hotel looked even better than the website had advertised, and I knew I would enjoy my stay. Unfortunately it was full of people and we had to wait in line just to talk to the person at the front desk. A pompous looking employee, dressed in a suit sat at the counter, and you could tell he hated his job.  
“Hello sirs. Do you have reservations with us?” He peered over the end of his snobbish nose and had his hands ready at the keyboard.  
“Yes we do. Mine is under ‘Steve Sickle’ and his is under ‘Bruce Graves’. We booked online earlier this week.” The clerk gave a quick snort through his nose and started to type.  
“Mr. Sickle, you have room 4-37 with just a queen bed. Is this correct in terms of what you booked?”  
“Yep. Real quick, you serve breakfast right?” The little prick just rolled his eyes. What the hell is his problem?  
“We do, sir.” Sickle nodded and went over to inspect a water fountain in the lobby. The clerk turned back to the computer to get my room. It seemed to be taking longer than it had with Sickle’s, but I figured it was just because I was annoyed by his snobbish attitude. “You said ‘Bruce Graves”, correct?”  
“Yes. G-R-A-V-E-S. Is something wrong?” He turned back to his computer and started to type again.  
“Sir, you’re not in our system. I can look it up under your phone number. Would you like for me to do that?” I could tell he wanted me to say that he didn’t have to, but there was no excuse for my room not to be booked. I gave him my phone number and he still couldn’t find it.  
“We did this right after each other. I got the confirmation email and everything. You billed me. How is it I’m not in there?” I knew I was starting to yell, but I was too angry to care. It didn’t help that I was starving and this idiot wasn’t doing his job.  
“Sir, I’m sure it was just a mistake in the system. We will refund your money, and I can offer an extra night. Right now though there aren’t any open rooms besides the Presidential Suite, but I don’t think you’re wanting to pay $857 for a single night. I’m sorry.” I could feel myself starting to shake with frustration, and I was about to start screaming at the man when Sickle came up beside me.  
“Are you almost done?” I turned and he saw that I was angry “What’s the matter?”  
“This fu—. Ugh.” I pinched the bridge of my nose and looked down at my shoes to calm down. “Apparently there was an error in the system where my room wasn’t actually booked. The only open room is ridiculously expensive and I’m not going to pay for that. We will have to find another hotel for me to check into.” He put a hand on my shoulder and started to lead me aside.  
“We’ll be just a minute.” The clerk nodded his ugly head and moved on to the next person with the same opening line and attitude he gave us. Prick. “Graves…I know you’re upset right now, but we can work things out. I know you’re probably not inclined to, but we could just share my room. It’s a queen bed so we will both be able to fit, and that way we won’t have to try and find an open room at another hotel. Do you think you could live with that? I promise, I don’t snore.” He gave me a reassuring grin and I could see he was concerned about me. That helped me to calm down and I sighed before giving him a nod.  
“Yeah. Yeah we could do that. I’m sorry this didn’t work out. I hate having to inconvenience you like this.” He laughed and started moving towards the front desk with me in tow.  
“I don’t mind, so don’t worry about it.” He smiled at me again and turned towards the clerk. “He will just share a room with me. Thank you for all of your help and sorry for the trouble.” The clerk snorted and pursed his lips before nodding his head and giving a short ‘Mmhmm’. I couldn’t stand him, so I started walking towards the doors.  
“Thank you again Sickle. Let’s go get some dinner. Hopefully we won’t be too late to the game.” He laughed and shook his head before taking a few quick steps to catch up with me and nudge my arm with his to get me to laugh.  
~

 

~Graves~  
We were able to grab meal before the game, and we got to our seats just as the National Anthem started. It was a lot more intense than I had thought it would be, and I couldn’t help screaming along with the hundreds of other hockey fans in the crowd. The seats were right next to the glass, and you could see it warp and bend whenever someone was slammed against it. It’s still odd for me to think that Sickle would like such a rough sport; he seems so gentle and meek. Our team won 4-2, and Sickle insisted on buying a jersey before we left.  
On the ride back to the hotel I realized how cold my left thigh was without his leg pressed against it. We had started out with a fair amount of space between us, but as the game continued on, I found myself gravitating towards his excitement, loud cheers, and warm scent. But I wasn’t the only one that moved closer…  
~Sickle~  
Grave’s sour mood dissipated rather quickly once we left the hotel, and he morphed into an enthusiastic sports fan. His smile shall never cease to make me happy, and after tonight I’m quite sure I have an undeniably strong addiction to it. I had unintentionally started moving closer to him at the game, and only noticed how close we had become when my knee brushed against his. After I noticed, I decided to take a leap of faith and fully press my leg against his. I could have sworn I felt him press back…no he wouldn’t do something like that…but I did feel it.  
The entire ride back to the hotel we had talked over each bit of the game and how fantastic it had been. It was only after we started to grab our bags out of the back that I realized we were to be sharing a room for the night.  
“Do you plan on showering tonight or tomorrow morning?” Graves stopped lifting up his bag and looked at me before a look of understanding came across his face. Apparently he had forgotten as well.  
“I was hoping for tonight, but if you’d rather I can just wait until tomorrow. It is your room after all.”  
“You can go ahead and shower tonight. I’m going to go down to the pool for a bit and then take a quick shower after you’re done. That won’t keep you up will it?” Please don’t think I’m an awful roommate…  
“No, that should be fine. Do you have the key?”  
~Graves~  
Sickle changed into his swim trunks immediately after we got to the room, and I could see how excited he was to go swimming. His trunks were grey with blue and white stripes down the sides; nothing special, but they still looked great on him. He scurried away soon after and I was able to get in the shower after turning up the thermostat. Apparently the AC on.  
I still felt cold even though I was under the hot water, and my left thigh felt even colder. It’s odd to think that I would ever be sad because another man’s leg was no longer pressed up against mine. I kept reliving every moment of the game and I let Sickle’s smiling, laughing face float through my mind as I greedily used up the warm water and complimentary shampoo.  
~Sickle~  
Any chance I get to go swimming, I take, and this wasn’t going to be an exception. I felt rather silly when I walked out in the trunks my wife bought me last summer, and Graves was standing there still in his coat looking at me. I could feel my face start to tingle as it began to turn pink, so I left as soon as I could throw my bag down and grab a room key.  
I got down to the pool and found that the door was locked. I looked at the pool hours on the door and then up at the clock on the other side of the room and saw that I was half an hour too late. I suppose I hadn’t realized what time it was because I was too wrapped up in Graves. I laughed at my own mistake and headed back up to the room.  
When I got back, Graves was still in the shower, so I decided to change into my lounge pants and an old T-shirt before crawling into bed and grading some papers. I was halfway through the first stack when heard the water turn off and the shower curtain slide open. My heart began to race at the thought of him in such a revealing state, but I quickly removed the thought and blushed at even thinking it. I continued grading my papers and suppressed anything else.  
It wasn’t long before he came out of the bathroom, but not in what I was expecting. Instead of being dressed and ready for bed, he came out with his lower half wrapped in a fluffy white towel. He must not have heard me come in. He crossed over to his bag and I realized that he didn’t have his contacts in, or he would have seen me. I took advantage of his blindness and began to drink in all that was Bruce Graves. My god he is handsome…  
~Graves~  
I had grabbed up my pajamas from my bag and turned to set them on the bed and take off my towel when I heard a clearing of a throat. I jumped back and squinted at the head of the bed to just barely make out Sickle’s reddened face.  
“I’m so sorry I didn’t hear you come in or see you honestly. I didn’t think you’d be back yet. I’m so sorry.” My face felt like it was on fire from how red it was. I started to grab up my clothes when I saw him move off the bed and move towards something that resembled a table. He moved up close to me and put my glasses on for me.  
“Here you might want these. And it’s not your fault. The pool was closed so I came back…I should have made my presence known…I’m sorry. I’m um. I’m going to go and grab something from the vending machine, and I’ll knock when I get back so you can let me in when you’re ready.” His face was just as red as mine felt, and he was avoiding eye contact like nothing else. He grabbed his wallet of the counter and scurried out the door. I sat on the end of the bed and put my heads in my hands. Great. Now I’ve freaked him out and made him uncomfortable. He probably hates the idea of sharing a bed now. Plus the car ride home tomorrow! FUCK!!!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Starting right where things left off last time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy, and please leave suggestions in the comments, it would be greatly appreciated.

~Sickle~  
I didn’t actually know where the vending machines were, so I decided to just wander around the hotel until I found one. I knew that I should have let him know I was back, and that I was there, but I couldn’t help myself. I knew that he was probably back in the room wallowing in his embarrassment; trying to think of a way to either talk about it, or to completely avoid the conversation all together.  
Eventually I stumbled upon a machine and bought some chips. I made sure to take my time on the way back so I could give him some extra space, and me time to think. As rounded the corner from the stairwell to our floor, I was able to look outside for the first time since we got back from the game. A storm was moving in and it looked like it was only going to get worse. 

~Graves~  
After what seemed like an eternity, I heard Sickle’s knock on the door. He must have taken extra time for my sake… I couldn’t help but steal a peak through the peephole before I opened the door and let him in. I immediately turned back to the room and sat in the chair near the bed put on the socks I had hanging from my hands. I wanted to say something; to tell him I was just worried that I had offended him, or made him uncomfortable, but I couldn’t. He had shut the door and began walking towards me. He hesitated in front of me, making my breath hitch in anticipation. He tossed the room key, his wallet, and his spoils onto the desk behind me and continued on to the window.  
  
“It looks as though a storm is coming in. I saw it out the window on my way back. We should turn on the news to check and see if it’s going to get any worse.” He pulled back the curtains and gestured to the window for me to look out of, before he turned back to the window, allowing me to openly look at him for a few moments before my gaze shifted out the window as well.  
  
“Oh god. I guess you’re right.” I stood up and moved beside him to get a better look. “I didn’t see anything about a bad storm though. Maybe it’s just a small system.”  
  
“I’m not sure, but we had better double check just in case. It might not be safe to travel tomorrow.” He let the curtain fall back in place, and he went and picked up his bag. “I think the channel list is in front of the TV. I’ll let you check it out. I’m going to shower real quick and change for bed.”  
  
“Do…Do you want me to leave? You know when you’re out of the shower?” I couldn’t help but bring it up. I wanted to make sure he was comfortable, but talking about it made it almost more uncomfortable.  
  
“Nah, you can stay here. I’ll just change in the bathroom. Besides, I need you to check the weather. You can’t do that if you’re not here.” I gave him a quick nod, and he disappeared into the bathroom. Just check the weather. It’s fine. You don’t need to worry about anything. I heard the bathroom door open, and I could see his head poking out from behind the door.  
  
“Did you forget something?”  
  
“No…Well, yes. I just wanted to say that we don’t have to talk about what happened earlier if you don’t feel comfortable enough to, or you feel there’s nothing to talk about. But if you do want to talk, we can. It’s up to you. Just let me know when I get out of the shower.”  
  
~Sickle~  
I was still shaking a bit from when I told Graves we could talk about what happened. It’s strange to think that something that simple to say can be so nerve wracking. The shower was refreshing and helped me to relax though. It also gave my mind some time to wander. What if the storm is bad enough to the point where we can’t travel? What if we have to stay another night? Will we have to share the room again? Will he want to share the room again?  
I meticulously dressed, and was thorough in brushing my teeth in order to give me extra time to think. Should I tell him the truth about what happened? Will he even want to talk about it? Then the time came where I finally had to face him and decide on answers for the questions floating around in my head. My hand hovered over the door handle, and I could see a noticeable tremble from the anticipation.  
  
I walked out and threw my stuff down before I even looked at him. The TV was on and he was sitting on the edge of the bed staring at it intently.  
“It looks like it’s going to get pretty bad. Nine inches tonight and tomorrow, and another five after that. Something about a “Polar Vortex” or something. I don’t think we will be able to leave tomorrow.”  
  
“I don’t think we will either. I’ll call my wife and let her know. You should probably do the same.”

~Graves~  
  
“So…if we are staying, do we want to call the front desk tonight and let them know, or should we just wait until tomorrow morning?” Sickle moved away from the window and back to the chair before he answered me.  
  
“We should call tonight. It will give us a better chance of securing our rooms. Do you want me to call? I know you weren’t too happy earlier today.”  
“Yeah if you don’t mind. So…Listen. If you want, we can use the free night they gave me, and we can share a room again so you don’t have to pay for another room tomorrow…I understand if you don’t want to, but it might be the best option…Economically speaking…” I could feel my face start to heat up as I continued rambling. In all honesty, I wanted him to stay with me another night. It was a hard thing to swallow, admitting to myself that I wanted to share a room with another man because I find him attractive, but it was also the best option for him. I looked up to see a soft smile on his face that seemed to warm my body and relax my tensed muscles.  
“I’d appreciate that. Thank you. Are you sure you’re comfortable with that though? I don’t want to impose…” Now it was my turn to smile…  
“I’m absolutely positive I’m comfortable with it.”

 

~Sickle~  
I was definitely grateful for Graves offering to share his room with me, especially since I had already sunk a large amount of funds into this trip. I hung up the phone and turned back to find Graves sitting on the edge of the bed with an odd expression on his face.  
“What’s the matter?”  
“Did they say something about possible power outages?”  
“Yeah. They said if there was though, they would turn on some generators, but we would have to reset our heater. No big deal.”  
“You told them not to call. What was that about?”  
“They offered to call our room if the power went out, but I told them not to bother. I figured neither of us are too excited on being woken up in the middle of the night.”  
“Alright that sounds good.” The silence started to press down around us, and I figured he was deciding on whether or not to talk about what happened. I just wish the TV was on or something so the silence isn’t so obvious. “So before you got in the shower, you offered…You said we could talk about what happened.””  
“I did. And my offer remains the same.” My stomach started to twist and I could feel a knot forming from the anxiety that only got worse as I waited for him to respond.  
“I…I think…I think I’d like to talk about it…” Oh God I made him feel bad. Great.  
“Okay. Wha—. How do yo—. I mean…Um…“ I cleared my throat in hopes of finding a clear way to start the conversation, but it was of no use. I started to shift in the chair, trying to think. I didn’t think it would be this hard…  
“I…I don’t mind that you saw me. I mean it was a shock, but I feel bad for making you uncomfortable and I’m sorry.” My head snapped up in shock. That’s not what I was expecting to hear at all.  
“You didn’t make me uncomfortable. I was afraid I had made you uncomfortable. I mean you didn’t know I was there. It was my responsibility to make myself known and…and I didn’t…I’m sorry.” Now it was his turn to look shocked. 

~Graves~  
We both stared at each other across the gap between the chair and the bed, thinking about what the other had said. Is it possible he had been looking at me and that’s why he didn’t say anything right away?  
“So…So you don’t mind the fact that I saw you…?” My face reddened. I hadn’t planned on revealing that to him, but I couldn’t help but say it. I gave out a short breathy laugh and bit my lip as I let my head drop in embarrassment.  
“Yeah I uh…I don’t mind…at all…” I looked up at him, making eye contact, hoping he’d understand exactly what I was saying. I’m rarely a “now or never” type of person, but this seemed like the best chance I’d ever have at letting him know how I felt. I could feel the weight of the risk pressing on me, but I needed to know. “Why did you take so long to say something…?” In my head I was crossing my fingers. Childish, I know, but I’d never hoped for something as much as I was then.  
He stood up and started to pace the room, alternating between wiping his hands on his flannel pajama pants and letting his arms swing from front to back and clasping them in the front. I didn’t pressure him into saying anything, but I didn’t break the silence and let him off the hook either. Finally he sat back down in the chair; slouched over with his elbows on his knees and his hands clasped together, avoiding eye contact.  
“Graves…I uh…For the past couple of…God I don’t know how to say this…” He let out an uncomfortable laugh and ran his fingers through his hair, making his widow’s peak terribly noticeable as he sat up and looked me in the eyes before letting out a long puff of air and sinking to his original position.  
“Look, I don’t want to pressure you into anything. If you don’t want to say anything, that’s okay. Just know my curiosity isn’t going to go away, but I’ll do my best to keep it in check. I think I’ll just head to bed.” I stood up and started to walk towards the light switch but was stopped by Sickle’s hand gently holding mine. I could feel the warmth of it travel up my arm and fill me with something I hadn’t felt in quite a while…  
“No, wait. I want to tell you, I really do. I just…I just don’t want anything to be awkward between us.” I could see how worried he was, and I knew that he must have been feeling the same things I had been feeling. I turned and fully faced him before gently squeezing his hand.  
“I promise it won’t be. You can trust me…”  
~Sickle~  
My fingers were tingling inside his hand. He was trying his hardest to make me feel comfortable but the knot in my stomach kept getting tighter. I looked into his blue eyes and could see how sincere he was. I have to tell him and it has to be now. Just breathe…  
“I…I didn’t say anything because…” Breathe. Just breathe and it will all be okay. “…Because I feel things towards…em for you. And when you came out of the bathroom I figured you would be dressed and then I saw you in just the towel…and I guess I was…I was checking you out. I know I was overstepping the boundaries, but I couldn’t help myself. I’m sor—“  
“Don’t. Don’t you dare say you’re sorry.” He turned his hand so our fingers were intertwined and he brought them up between our chests. “This. This right here is what I have been thinking about for weeks…months even…I didn’t want to admit to myself that I felt this way, but today proved it to me. The drive down, you offering to share your room, the game, and how caring and considerate you have been. You’re wonderful Sickle and I don’t ever want to hear you apologize for being you. Do you understand?”  
I realized I had stopped breathing when my chest began to hurt, and I had to focus on even taking a single breath. The man I had been so terrified would be against my feelings was holding my hand and telling me his feelings were the same. I could feel my heart beating faster and my body starting to feel lighter by the second. He was looking me directly in the eyes with a soft smile when he started to raise our hands even higher…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to leave a comment. I'll be adding more as time goes on, but I need to know where people want it to go.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There have been some issues with putting in the text, so it's not formatted to the way I wrote it out originally, and I apologize. It kind of looks like shit because of this issue, but it's still the same story. Keep in mind that the text in present tense (that's not dialog) is the inner thoughts of the person at that time. Enjoy!

~Graves~  
I could feel his heart rate increase as I raised his hand to rest on my chest. He was close enough to me that I could smell his cinnamon body wash and the scent of his fabric softener. I tried my best to put everything away as a whole memory to save and think about later.   
“Graves...” He had said it so softly I wouldn’t have heard it had I not been looking directly at him and saw his lips whisper my name. I could feel his fingers trembling slightly against my chest, and I pressed his hand closer to me.  
“You can feel my heart racing. I’m just as nervous as you are. I’m not asking for anything, and I don’t want to pressure you…I’ve never felt anything towards another man, especially a married man, so it’s all new to me. But…if you do feel things towards me, and…I guess what I’m trying to say is that I don’t know what I want from this, but I do know that you mean something to me.” My voice had trailed off from my already barely audible volume, and I started to feel awkward for saying what I had, so I looked down at my feet and started to wiggle my toes.   
He moved his other hand to rest gently beneath my chin, pressing it up so I’d be looking him in the eyes. “I don’t know what I want either, but we do have time to think about this. Just…Let’s agree to take things one step at a time.” His voice was soft but I could feel the emotion and plea in his voice.  
“I promise” I rubbed the back of his hand with my thumb before giving a gentle squeeze and letting his hand slip from mine. “Let’s talk more tomorrow. I think I need time to think about this, and I’m pretty tired. Are you good with that?”  
“Yeah, that sounds good. Do you want me to get the light?”  
~

~Sickle~  
I stayed awake for a long time after we went to bed. I never would have thought he would feel the same way I did, and I didn’t know what to do with that fact. The gentle sound of his rhythmic breaths let me know when he was asleep, and I was able to feel the heat between our squished bodies. I couldn’t help but think about how it would feel to have his arms wrapped around me; holding me close against his solid frame. It would be nice to be the one being cuddled for once. My marriage was obviously built on a compassionate foundation, but it seemed pretty one-sided. I was the one who was supposed to cuddle the other, to compliment the other, to always be there giving love.  
She does love me, and I love her, but she doesn’t show it as much anymore. I’m always there to keep her happy and do as she asks; playing the role of a good husband…A good husband wouldn’t go against the God he believes in though. He wouldn’t defy the scripture and keep his transgressions secret during a confession. He wouldn’t be feeling the things I’ve been feeling for another person outside his marriage, especially another man. A good husband wouldn’t want what I want…But I can’t deny the feelings I have towards Graves, either. I know that I feel more for him than I have ever felt for anyone else, and I’ve tried to deny and suppress these feelings, but I can’t. He just means too much to me; so much that I’m willing to take whatever hell I’m delivered to. I just can’t risk my children’s futures. I know what divorce does to families, and I can’t let that happen to them. Let alone what will happen to them at church if it’s ever found out. I’ll keep it secret from my wife and everyone else. I’ll keep them safe while I’m on my way to hell.  
The snow and temperature kept falling while I laid awake thinking. It wasn’t long after I decided Graves was worth the risks, that the power went out, and the heater started to blow cool air. I was careful to slide out of bed without waking him, and to keep the light from my phone away from him as I reset the heater. I kept it set slightly cooler so I could have the excuse in order to sleep even closer to him.   
~Graves~  
I didn’t ever think I would have feelings for another guy, but what I felt for Sickle couldn’t be denied. I knew that I’d never leave my wife or anything like that, but I wasn’t about to let Sickle go either. I knew I could make things work, and that we would figure things out together in due time.   
All I have to do is keep it under wraps and it will be fine. God knows how shitty it would be if our students found out. The only one who needs to know besides myself, is Sickle, and I know I can trust him.   
I had been sound asleep when I felt Sickle slide out of bed, and heard him resetting the heater. Such a caring man. As sleepy as I was, I knew I wanted to let him know I appreciated him taking care of things. I waited until he was about to get back in bed before I turned over to face him, making sure to leave room for him, but not so much room where there’d be a lot of space between us.  
“I’m sorry, I tried to be careful so I didn’t wake you up.”  
“You’re fine, but it’s getting pretty cold without you under the covers…” I heard him give a small laugh, and I could just picture him rolling his eyes with a half-smile on his face. He put his phone on the nightstand before crawling back into bed and facing me. Perfect. “Thanks for handling the heater.”  
“No problem. I was still awake so it wasn’t a big deal.” The giant yawn after he said that was proof enough.   
“Was I keeping you awake?”   
“No, I was just thinking.”   
“Come to any fantastic conclusions?” He fell silent then. I knew he was still awake because his breathing hadn’t changed, and I could feel him fidgeting. “Sorry, we can talk in the morning. I know you’re tired.” My voice came out even softer than the last few whispers before it. Though it was completely dark in the room, I automatically tried to look him in the eyes to show the sincerity of what I said.  
“I just have a lot on my mind when it comes to this. I definitely want to talk in the morning, but for now, let’s just say that you mean a lot to me, and I find you worth it all. I can explain more tomorrow.” I could hear the pain and exhaustion in his voice, but it all seemed to cancel out with the way he said he cared. I couldn’t have chosen a better person to fall for. “Are you still cold?”  
“That sounds good to me. And yeah I am a bit. Are you?”  
“Yeah. Do you want me to turn up the heater some more?”   
“No, you don’t have to get up again. I think I know a solution to this problem…Come here…” At that he moved in to me, and I could feel his nose pressed slightly into my chest. “Perfect…”


End file.
